Medical Student Perspectives: Volunteering in Honduras

Danger! Violent crime! Poverty! These are just some of the words often used to describe the current situation in Honduras. I must admit that I, too, initially perceived the country in this manner after learning that it holds the dubious title of the world’s murder capital. To add to my consternation, the U.S. Peace Corps had just pulled out of Honduras due to its concerns about the safety of its volunteers. Once there, I realized that despite my concerns about safety and the truly destitute living conditions for many in Honduras, the majority of the people were still remarkably optimistic and content.

Dr. Wayne J. Riley was first influenced by his father, Dr. Emile Edward Riley, who was a surgeon, to pursue a career in medicine. Before deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps as a physician, Dr. Riley spent a few years working for the mayor’s office in his hometown of New Orleans and where he pursued and received a Master’s degree in public health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “Working in government gave me a broad perspective in terms of the professional world. Once I decided that I wanted to go to medical school, I did not have any conflicting emotions as to what I really wanted to do. I knew that going into medicine was the answer.”

Internal Medicine Interest Group of the Month: Louisiana State University School of Medicine - New Orleans

The Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG) at Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine in New Orleans was founded in 1999 and in 2000 was renamed the Edgar Hull Society (EHS) in honor of the late Dr. Edgar Hull, a renowned physician, cardiologist, and the past chairman of LSU’s Department of Medicine. For over 12 years, the EHS has promoted the field of internal medicine to LSU medical students, other members of the LSU Health Sciences Center community, and the public at large through a variety of activities and avocations.

Ask the Program Director: Submit your questions!

Ask the Program Director is a feature that focuses on providing medical students practical advice to help you navigate the process of obtaining a residency position in internal medicine. Issues covered include things like CV development, writing a personal statement, the Match process, residency program interviews, and more. Do you have a question for program directors?

Advocacy Update: ACP Health Policy Internship Program

My Experience as an ACP Health Policy InternThis past May, I was the medical student Health Policy Intern at the Washington D.C. office of the American College of Physicians. After meeting the ACP staff, and witnessing the work they do, I was excited to be part of an organization that works so hard for physicians and medical students alike. Read More

Applications now being accepted for 2013 ACP Health Policy Internship Program. This Internship represents a unique opportunity for one Associate and one Medical Student Member to develop legislative knowledge and advocacy skills by working directly with the College’s Washington, D.C., staff and participating in ACP’s annual Leadership Day. The internship will last for 4 weeks starting April 29, 2013. The deadline for applications is October 22. Learn more

Do you want an experience that offers an opportunity to enhance your research skills, build leadership potential, and improve your clinical acumen via a population health perspective, all by working on real-life problems in a diverse work environment?
Then consider applying to The CDC Experience!
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Winning Abstracts from the 2012 Medical Student Abstract Competition: Fever in a Returned Traveler

A 53-year-old male contractor with a history of recent travel to the Philippines presented to the Bagram Air Force Base, Afghanistan with nausea, emesis, frontal headache, and myalgias. He had recently been re-deployed to Afghanistan after working for eight years in Iraq. Upon arrival he was stable and afebrile, with a heart rate of 115 beats per minute, oxygen saturation of 93% on room air. A chest radiograph showed hilar fullness without infiltrates and he was released with symptomatic treatment for a presumed diagnosis of a viral syndrome

Subspecialty Careers: Infectious Disease

From the Latin word inficere, "to dye or stain" but also "to corrupt or spoil." The ancients conceived that disease could result from the entrance of invisible agents into the body, a sort of "tainting."

Infectious disease medicine requires an understanding of the microbiology, prevention, and management of disorders caused by viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections. This understanding includes the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents, vaccines, and other immunobiological agents. Important content includes the environmental, occupational, and host factors that predispose to infection, as well as the basic principles of epidemiology and transmission of infection.

In the Clinic is a monthly feature in Annals of Internal Medicine that focuses on practical management of patients with common clinical conditions. It offers evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about screening, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and patient education and provides physicians with tools to improve the quality of care. Many internal medicine clerkship directors recommend this series of articles for students on the internal medicine ambulatory rotation.

IM Essentials brings the self-assessment questions currently in MKSAP for Students and the textbook content of Internal Medicine Essentials for Clerkship Students together into a single, updated and integrated suite of educational materials with a variety of new enhancements. Learn more.

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